SBIR Phase I: Game-like Teaching/Practice System with Automated Personalized Text Messaging, Email, Web, and Voice Interaction

小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段研究项目将开发和建立一种新的方法和系统，用于推进教育，特别是在STEM学科，应用当前可用的计算机和通信技术。学生系统的互动将通过以下四个渠道启用：短信（短消息服务（SMS）使用移动的电话）;电子邮件;网站;语音（电话线）。该系统的主要特点是能够通过短信和电子邮件与每个学生进行轻量级的个性化对话。与网站和语音渠道相比，这两个渠道在教学方面具有许多优势。特别是，该系统将发送个性化的问题，处理回复，并为学生提供答案和解释。支持移动的系统设计将允许自动处理学生以自由文本格式输入的内容，而不仅仅是对多项选择题的一个符号回答。后续作业的难度将根据个别学生的学习曲线进行调整和增加。自动化的短信和电子邮件处理将为学生创造一种类似游戏的体验，增强使用系统的愿望，并最终刺激学习过程。尽管该系统将首先应用于STEM学科，但灵活的设计和系统固有的自由文本处理能力使其潜在的应用范围非常广泛。系统架构中使用的基本原则，特别是支持移动的设备独立设计，使该系统能够用于从K-12到高等教育和专业教育的所有级别的学习，无论是在公共还是私人组织。可以利用该系统，而不管特定的教育主题或主题、或特定类型的教育活动、或特定的内容递送方法。直观的系统管理功能允许任何课程讲师管理系统，而无需专业人员的帮助。目前全球电子学习市场的规模估计为400亿美元;这不仅包括K-12机构，还包括大学，企业和政府客户。该系统广泛属于电子学习市场的移动学习利基;移动学习部门是非常新的，正在迅速增长。据保守估计，到2011年，全球移动学习市场的规模将达到15亿美元。该系统的普遍适用性及其固有的自由文本处理和移动功能使其获得了巨大的市场份额。

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project will develop and build a novel method and system for advancing education, in particular, in the STEM disciplines, applying the currently available computer and communication technologies. The student-system interaction will be enabled via the following four channels: text messaging (Short Message Service (SMS) using mobile phone); email; website; voice (phone line). The key feature of the system is the capability to carry out light-weight personalized dialogs with each student via SMS and email. These two channels have a number of pedagogic advantages over the website and voice channels. In particular, the system will send personalized problems, process replies, and provide answers and explanation to students. The mobile-enabled system design will allow automatic processing of the students' inputs in the free-text format and not just as one-symbol replies to multiple choice problems. The level of difficulty of subsequent assignments will be adjusted and increased based on the individual student's learning curve. The automated SMS and email processing will create a game-like experience for the student enhancing the desire to use the system and ultimately stimulating the learning process. Importantly, the location-independent access to the system makes it fully accessible to disadvantaged students.Although the system will be first applied to STEM disciplines, the flexible design and the intrinsic free-text processing capabilities of the system make the range of potential applications extremely broad. The cornerstone principles used in the system architecture, in particular, the mobile-enabled device-independent design, allow the system to be utilized in learning at all levels from K-12 to higher and professional education, both at public and private organizations. The system can be utilized regardless of a specific education subject or topic, or a specific type of education activity, or a specific method of content delivery. The intuitive system administration functions allow any course instructor to manage the system without help from expert staff. The current size of the e-learning market globally is estimated to be $40B; this includes not only K-12 institutions but also universities, corporate and government clients. The system belongs broadly in the m-learning niche of the e-learning market; the m-learning sector is very new and is growing rapidly. A conservative estimate for the m-learning market niche globally is $1.5B by 2011. The universal applicability of the system together with its intrinsic free-text processing and mobile-enabled functionality gives it a significant momentum for gaining a sizable market share.